The news hit me suddenly yesterday. I know several say they were not at all surprised by Gavin Ashenden announcing he was joining the Roman Catholic Church, but I sure was.
Ashenden is such a good gentle man, it is hard to be upset with him about anything, but I have to admit I was upset with him at first. He was such an asset to Anglicanism; we need more like him. So for us struggling faithful catholic Anglicans that remain to lose yet another one to Rome is distressing.
I will say some of the speculation I’ve read online about why he is doing this is uncharitable and unfair. If you want to know his reasoning, watch this Anglican Unscripted episode first:
After watching it, I became more understanding of his decision. To be an Anglican in England but outside the Church of England is difficult indeed. UK culture is very hard ground for continuing Anglicans. The alternative of being under an inviting traditional RC bishop – and everything I’ve heard about the Bishop of Shrewsbury, Mark Davies, is excellent – had to be inviting indeed. And it appears opportunities for ministry will now expand for Gavin. I certainly hope that will be the case now and wish him the best.
I am still upset with the Church of England among other Anglicans. (Yes, I am well aware he left the Church of England in 2017.) We need to keep people like Ashenden, not drive them away. As I’ve stated before, us Anglicans owe it not just to ourselves but to the Lord and to the church and world that needs robust non-papal catholicity to keep orthodox Anglo-Catholics and enable them to flourish.
Losing Gavin Ashenden is yet one more failure at that.
1 comment:
Sorry to hear this. Wonder how Bishop Ashenden reconciles the persistent errors of the RC, particularly those which tend to push Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, and sin and salvation and sanctification outside of the core concentration of what the Church that Jesus is building is called to be.
Post a Comment